Re: [44net] Inviting you to ARDC Grantmaking Survey + Community Jitsi Call

K4BFH here. For what it’s worth, I’m a Microsoft, Cisco, and Citrix instructor and architect for a large MSP. I’d be glad to help with the infrastructure any way possible. I offered to Brian back in the day but it never got much traction. Ryan O’Connor K4BFH Sent from my mobile device. Expect strange words and horrendous misspelling. ________________________________ From: 44Net <44net-bounces+slowgto=outlook.com(a)mailman.ampr.org> on behalf of Bdale Garbee via 44Net <44net(a)mailman.ampr.org> Sent: Tuesday, September 29, 2020 3:52 PM To: David Ranch Cc: Bdale Garbee; AMPRNet working group Subject: Re: [44net] Inviting you to ARDC Grantmaking Survey + Community Jitsi Call David Ranch via 44Net <44net(a)mailman.ampr.org> writes: As Rosy said in her reply, thanks much for jumping in with these thoughts. I'll add comments about two specific things we've already done or are doing specifically in support of 44Net that may not be top of her mind. One of the first things we worked on after Brian passed was formalizing our relationship with Chris, G1FEF, who had taken on various 44Net admin responsibilities as a volunteer. We now pay him as a contractor to administer much of our infrastructure. That includes core 44Net assets, as well as some software we're using to run ARDC itself. Part of our statement of work with Chris relates to possible 44Net improvements, and I'm sure that we can and will allocate funds to address some number of such improvements over time. More discussion about what's actually needed and with what sense of priority would be awesome input for us to hear through the survey, upcoming "town hall" meeting, etc. Second, we're currently working through the legal issues associated with making grants to non-US entities, specifically in support of a grant request for hardware improvements to packet infrastructure in Europe. As we've previously communicated, broadening the scope of grant recipients beyond other 501(c)3 charities or equivalent tax status recipients in the US requires significant legal and financial process work. There are several "categories" of recipients, each of which will require different chunks of work on our part to set up. ARDC is determined to get to the point where we can make grants to non-incorporated groups and potentially even individuals in large part because that's what we need to be able to grant funds more broadly for things like on-air 44net assets around the world. Rosy and I are "on it", but it's neither easy nor fast... and my part of the work is being done 100% as a volunteer. Thank you all for your continued patience! 73 - Bdale, KB0G ARDC Treasurer / CFO